Launch Your Life
Your marriage will never be better than you are.
Part A) Determine personal habits
Getting the marriage you want- getting the life you want, requires a deep commitment to getting the you, you want. What personal habits could you start on, effective today, that would lead you to who you want to be?
Launch Your Life - Step 1) Consider possible habits.
Come back to this page in the future to add to or replace initial habits. For now, just go by your instincts.
Choose actions and habits that feels right for you (not easy, just right).
Choose actions and habits that feel possible (don’t overwhelm yourself), but..
Choose actions & habits that challenge you (don’t underwhelm yourself).
Choose actions & habits that cover the gamete of human needs (be balanced)
Choose actions & habits that speak to at least your best guess of what you want to contribute to this world.
Jot down 3 to 10 from the list below, or your own ideas.
Possible habits (listed in priority, generally)
Daily possibilities
Prayer & Meditation (at least 15 minutes a day)
Exercise (at least walking, at least 20 min. a day)
Planning your day / Breaking down, refining and re-prioritizing actions (at least 10 min. a day)
Inspirational reading (i.e. The Bible, Tony Robbins, Bonds that Make Us Free etc. )
Work “Inspirational Input” into dead time (having your favorite podcasts ready for your walks, drives, dishes etc.)
Eating whole foods (highly acclaimed health habit)
Getting in cold water once a day for a few minutes (highly acclaimed health habit)
Sauna 3 times a week (highly acclaimed health habit)
Walk on grass, bare footed (3 times a week)
Family prayer at least once a day
Attention one of your spouse’s Love Language actions once a day.
Have sit down dinner every evening.
Play with kids and/or spouse once a day.
Spouse, Nightly Check-in.
Kid Check-In (Talk to spouse about who needs what, or how you can bless each).
Financial accounting (budget) (a powerful too for creating peace & harmony)
Community service through your church, or service organization at least once a week.
More coming. Come back soon!
Date night, once a week.
Couple Prayer (and/or meditation).
Habit Tracking (This is the most important. Fully face your life, every day).
Bed by ___ (Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy & wise)
Weekly possibilities
Date night with spouse.
Fun activity with kids.
Weekly Inventory. Prioritize projects, identifying big actions for this upcoming week, ideally even setting due dates. Stephen Covey and David Allen both agree that that weekly planning is the most important part of planning. Work through personal issues.
Launch Your Life - Step 2) Journal Entry
After jotting down 3 to 10 of the ideas above, or your own, do short journal entry (3 to 5 minutes). Include the following:
a) How do I feel as I consider habits I would like to master?
b) How possible is it that God can strengthen me in establishing the kind of positive habits that will lead to my goals, even now?
Launch Your Life - Step 3) Take a walk with your spouse (at least 15 minutes).
a) Before your walk, let your spouse read what you wrote in your journal tonight and visa versa.
b) On your walk, share some of the habits you listed and why they are important to you. Also, share whatever positive feelings you experienced reading your spouse’s journal. If you had no positive feelings, at least be encouraging about what you read. In your real, unwounded, hopeful, loving, self, no one believes in him or her more than you do!
Do not comment on each other’s shares tonight other than some nods, and maybe a little “Yes, I understand,” or “that makes sense” or “Mm hmm” and/or “Thanks for sharing this with me.” Nothing more.
PART B) - START HABIT TRACKING
Use any sort of "Habit Tracker" to track your habits. ...More below.
Notes:
1) A "Habit Tracker", in it's simplest form, can be a 3 by 5 card on your bathroom mirror with your top habits listed. But if you want to become a master of the universe, consider a real habit tracker.
2) Additionally, consider the "special savings" element of habit tracking as an extra layer of motivation. It may not work for you- but it may. Be open to it.